Spirit of Heart
by airgirl555
Summary: My life has always been normal I thought the “after life” would be similar. But when I find myself facing an old man named Iroh, who tells me I’m the only chance to save his dear nephew's life, and the fate of another planet, things get ugly, and hard. Ir
1. Chapter 1

**Spirit of Heart**

**Prologue**

My life has _always_ been normal; I thought the "after life" would be similar. But when I find myself facing an old man named Iroh, who tells me I'm the only chance to save his dear nephew's life, and the fate of another planet, things get ugly, and hard. Iroh's plan involves lies, and diceit, and a life I would never want to commit myself to, and in the process I'll have to find a way to save a young boy named Aang, and if I can't do all that my soul may never be put to rest, and Chaos will rule.

**Chapter 1**

I walked into my room to find my two twin cousins playing with my Broadswords. My eyes widened, I had been trained in the art for over five years and I had never seen them handled this carelessly.

"Hya, ah, ah," The clatter of the two swords filled the room.

"STOP!" I yelled, extremely angry.

Jake dropped the sword to his side, he was the obedient one, but Daniel held his sword out to me, ducking down into a ridiculous looking fighting stance.

"Make me!" He said tauntingly.

"Daniel, those swords aren't play things!" I screamed. "You could seriously hurt someone," I sighed, trying not to let my anger get the best of me, it wasn't going very well. "How did you even find them I put them up so that you wouldn't be able to get to them. I've got no time for this, give me my sword."

I flung at him; Daniel dogged me and laughed as I hit the wall.

Jake looked scared, he dropped his sword on my bed on the far side of the room and he slowly edged his way to the door.

Daniel lunged at me, I ducked and grabbed the sword Jake had dropped on my bed.

"Just give me the damn sword Daniel!" I yelled losing my patience.

"No!" he said.

'Fine' I thought, 'if he's not going to give it to me, I'll have to take it by force.'

"I'm telling mom and Aunt Ruth!" Jake said.

'Thank god one of them is using their brain.' I thought to myself and I was about to say something to him when Daniel lunged again. I was caught off guard; I felt the cold, cool metal of the sword slice its way through my body.

"Oh my god!" I heard my cousin scream. "Bee, I'm so sorry, I was just joking around."

I looked down and saw the sword sticking out of my navel, boy let go of the swords handle, he stumbled backwards, tears filled his eyes, my sight started to blur, I fell against the wall.

"I'm sorry," he said again.

I was covered in blood from waist down, so much blood, such a deep gash.

I heard the door open, heard a woman scream, and my world was bathed in blackness.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When I awoke, I was standing. A man with long white hair that was placed into a small bun, long side burns, and red armor, was standing across from me.

"Where am I?" I asked the man. I looked around me, I was surrounded by a swamp like aria, everything was bathed in an odd yellow and peach light.

"I'm sorry to inform you that you are now in the spirit world, my dear." The man said, and muttered something that sounded something like, 'So young.'

My mind frayed, 'Spirit world? He couldn't possibly mean that I was _died_, could he?'

"Do you mean to say that I'm…"

"Died?" The man chuckled, but then frowned sincerely, "Yes, my child, you are."

Something inside of me fell apart, I was never to see my family, my home, my friends, none of them, not ever again. I had been killed by the hands of my cousin. The man put a hand on my shoulder

"My name is Iroh," said the man smiling. "There is much we must talk about."

I smiled weakly back at the man and he led me over to small house in the middle of the swamp.

The house was small but it made up in extravagance. It had the look of an old Chinese Temple, the roof was red and horned and the walls were white and glossy.

Inside, rich rugs hung on the walls, showing beautiful imagery of fire breathing dragons and men dressed in old Chinese looking outfits, mountains and hills in covered in a yellow grass hung at the bottom and red skies at the top. A small table sat low to the ground, on it, it held a steaming pot of tea. An extravagant looking dresser steeled itself on the left of the room and a small mattress lay on the right. Iroh sat down on the floor next to the table.

"Sit," he said and gestured to the other side of the table. I was still in shock; hesitantly I took my seat across from Iroh.

"Have some tea." He said handing me a cup of the hot brow liquid, and taking out a new cup for himself.

We sat in the silence sipping our tea for a while before Iroh looked up to my eyes with a stern face and said: "Your heart is pure and true; there are not many souls you're yours in the spirit world." He sighed then continued, "The Avatar Spirit and I have a plan for you…"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hashie is the Japanese word for chopsticks. REVIEW PLEASE!**

**Chapter 3**

"So what do I have to do with any of this?" I asked Iroh. He had just finished telling me a long and confusing story about a reincarnated spirit called "Avatar", a fighting art called "Bending", and a young Prince named Zuko.

Iroh chuckled, "You are to help save my world, my nephew is slowly killing himself in his sixteenth year, and you must help him to see the silver lining; the good that the world does poses, so that he may become Lord, and end the war my world was once in."

"Wait, so the war has already happened?" I asked. "Did you know I was going to die, before I actually did?"

Iroh chuckled, "Actually, we did."

"Okay… So wait who is your nephew again?" I asked.

"Prince Zuko."

"Prince Zuko, okay got it. And what am I suppose to do to help him?"

Iroh smiled, "When the moment comes, you'll know."

I sighed deeply.

"I am very sorry, but I will have to have you start you at a horrible beginning of your new life. The spirit that your new body _now_ occupies is about to die, and this is the only time we can switch your souls. Just remember, 'experience is the key to a healthy and wonderful life.'" Iroh smiled. "While in my world, you will go by the name Xola. The name Beatrix makes you sound crazy. Dress in reds and blacks only, the new body you will be using, was born of the fire nation. And get very close to your Hashie sticks. Forks, knives and spoons are rare and valuable possessions in my world, most people who have them are lucky and blessed. You will have a long and painful journey ahead of you," Iroh said sadly. "But you are the only hope left for my people, please chose your options carefully. Remember, if you fail, your spirit will never be put to rest."

"Thank you Iroh, I will," I said. "I promise not to let you or your people down,"

"I know you won't, you are far too strong for that." Iroh said smiling, but in his eyes I could see a hidden sadness, a fear, something that to him seemed uncertain, a wanted hope that had been locked away for far too long.

But before I could say anything I was bathed in a blinding white/blue light. I screamed in surprise and fell back.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Okay, here comes the drama.. Don don don! If you are faint of heart, you'll be okay. If you've don't like full on detail, you'll be okay. But if you're not a teen and havn't had the "Talk" you might not want to read this till you're a little older. **

**REVIEW PLEASE! **

**Chapter 4**

My head landed on something hard and metal.

'_Clonk_'

"Ouch!"

I opened my eyes, which I hadn't even realized I had closed and looked around me. I seamed to be in some kind of hold, or cell. The only light that shone in the room was a torch which hung on the wall, and besides me and the torch the room was completely empty.

'_Have I left the spirit world?'_ I wondered.

Suddenly, the door in front of me opened and a man with large sideburns, a bun and red and black armor much like Iroh had worn, but far more extravagant, stepped into the room.

"I'm glad to see you could join me Xola." He said in a snide, 'Oh-I'm-so-much-better-then-you,-and-I-know-it' tone. He stepped closer to me, I stepped back, and ended up hitting the wall again, he was way too close for comfort. "While we're waitinf for your dear, Prince Zuko, why don't you and I have a little fun?" He leaned into me; I felt the touch of his lips against my cheek, as his hands found their way to my hips.

I reached up a hand and slapped him in the face. _'How dare he? Could this be the banished prince I was supposed to be helping? How could I help someone who kisses me without permission?'_

The man looked at me highly disgusted, rubbing the place where my hand had hit. Although I did not hit him hard, I think that he was still surprised by my actions. And to tell you the truth, I was surprised by my actions too; the man was at least twice my size, if not more. Suddenly he grabbed a knife from the inside of his boot and held it to my throat.

"You'll pay for that!" The man said and slammed me against the other side of the room. I hit the wall with a loud thud, and slid down in pain.

The man undid the iron belt from around his waist that held up the bottom half of his armor. He had only thin work pants underneath that. I looked up at him in fright_. 'I know Iroh said he had to start me at a bad place, but rape was not what I thought he meant.'_ I thought to myself

Before I could get up, or protect myself in any way, the man was on top of me, dagger still in hand. I felt the heat of his saliva as he necked me.

"Please…" I said. "No… Don't…"

"Shh…" he calmed.

"Get off…" I whimpered. "…Please."

The man lifted his hips slightly, one hand undoing the tie around my waist, which held up the red pants under my skirt. This gave me just enough leverage to knee him where it hurts.

"OUGH!" the man sighed in pain. He looked down at me, his eyes full of hatred. "You wench, you'll pay for that!" he said and raised the dagger above his head.

My eyes widened "No!" I said in fear, but it was too late, and for the second time in one day I felt the cool metal of a sword slice through my body. Although the cut was not too deep and it probably didn't cut into anything vital, it hurt like hell.

As I screamed out in pain the man had finally succeeded in pulling my pants around my knees.

Blood gushed freely from my stomach, and I found myself growing weaker and weaker, making it all the more hard to fight off the man on top of me. My sight blurred, and I felt light headed, but then I heard the door slam open, I felt the man on top of me binging pulled off. I heard the collision of a fist against a nose and cheek, and suddenly I was lifted into the air, I was being cared "bridal style" out of the cell and down a hall way, I was to weak to see my hero's face. I was taking heavy uneven breaths. I couldn't take the pain any longer; I took one last sighing breath and fell back into unconsciousness.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

When I awoke I was laying down. I opened my eyes and looked around me. My sight blurred and my head ached, I was extremely week.

"Shh…" I heard a voice whisper. "She's come to."

I frowned, I was shaking from head to foot, and I was _so_ tiered. I felt a pair of strong hands on my shoulders and I realized that I had closed my eyes again. When I opened them I was staring into the eyes of a boy in his late teens, a large burn grazed over the side of his left eye, and a raven pony-tail set at the midpoint of his head. The boy shook me softly, but in a firm voice said: "Wake up."

My eyelids flickered threatening to close. The boy shook me harder and I was lifted off the mattress. I gasped and hissed in pain, I looked down at my stomach, and I faintly remembered being stabbed. But it was then that I realized that the only thing covering my body was a pair of puffy work pants and bandages that covered my chest and stomach like a camisole, splotches of red blood seeping its way through.

"So tiered…" I gowned, the boy looked back at me sympathetically and helped me sit up.

A man in white walked his way over to me and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him. As my head spun over to his eyes, visions of the man with the large side burns filled my memory. I gasped and closed my eyes in fear. The man released my chin and I cowered near the wall in dread.

"It's alright." The boy with the scare proclaimed softly. "He's not here to hurt you." I felt him sit on the end of the bed and I slid my feet in closer to me. "…none of us are…." His voice was harsh yet comforting, like a father's coo. I urged my self to trust these people. I remembered being in the spirit world and my thoughts traveled to the old man's words:

"…_Remember, if you fail, your spirit will never be put to rest…"_

I opened my eyes and looked into the stun face of a man in his late 40's. he was dressed in white and had a headband draped around his forehead. The man grabbed my chin again and looked deep into my eyes.

"What is you name?" the man asked sternly.

"Bea…" I was about to say Beatrix when I caught myself. What was that name Iroh told me to use? X-something, Xula, Xalana, Xamamana… Crap! I had a good heart, but I'd give that up to have better listening skills! Xo- I knew it was Xo- something, Exoskeletons? Sounds right. Xol… XOLA! That was it! "XOLA!" I screamed in happiness. The Man in White raised an eye brow to my overjoyed reaction, but sighed and shook it off.

"What is his name?"

Great, I get raped, and stabbed,_ and _I have to take a "Pop Quiz"? "Umm…" Name's raised through my mind at the speed of lightning. Andrew, John, Ash, Mat, Alex, Bill, Willson, Ben, Russle, Jake, Jack, Peter. But then it hit me like a pound of bricks. What if this was the banished prince Iroh told me about. He told me that he had received a terrible burn from his father when he was 14; this, more then likely, was Zuko. "… Pr-Prince Zuko?" I stuttered, unsure.

The Man in White sighed heavily and motioned for the boy on the end of my bed and the person standing out of my sight range to fallow him out of the door. The boy in front of me got up sadly, wearing a concerned frown.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/n: I know this is a weird chapter and not much happens but its important to the rest of the story and the next chapter O.O ZukoxOC! (crap, now I had to go and give it away!) hehe**

**Love and Peace!**

**-Natasha**

**Chapter 6**

Iroh closed the door behind him, it had been a long night and his nephew had the shadows under his eyes to prove it.

"Will she be alright?" Iroh heard Zuko ask the healer in little more then a whisper.

"I'm not sure." The healer said thoughtfully.

"What's wrong with her memory?" Iroh asked politely crossing his wrists in his sleeves.

"I think she's oppressed right now. After what Zhoa did to her, I don't think she'll ever be whole again. That and the blood loss plays a factor too." the healer then looked stern. "Someone will need to stay with her tonight and make sure she doesn't fall asleep. I'd offer myself, but I might fall asleep before she would." the healer added with a yawn. "We need to know exactly what Zhoa did to her tonight.So we can help her, if there is a chance that there's a pregnant woman on board our supplies list will change dramatically."

Iroh opened his mouth to speak, but Zuko got there first.

"I'll stay with her and see what she can tell me." Zuko said plainly.

The healer nodded.

"With all do respect." Iroh questioned. "Why does Xola have to stay awake? Its the middle of the night. And I think she, more then anyone on this ship deserves the rest."

The healer sighed. "If we let Xola rest we could lose her.Its far easier to have some one die in there sleep, with out us knowing about it, then if they're awake."

Iroh nodded and Zuko looked at his feet.

"Well..." said the healer with a yawn. "If she passes out or something, I'll be in my cabben." And with that he walked down the long hall way to his cabben.

Iroh turned to his nephew. "Are you sure you want to stay up all night with Xola and have her relive what has occurred only hours ago? You look so tiered."

"I'm sure Uncle. Good night."

Iroh sighed and watched as his nephew opened the door to Xola's room and enter, wondering what _were_ the events that had occurred.


	7. Chapter 7

**IMPORTANT:** I had a poll a while ago, asking if Xola (Beatrix) should have been raped or near-raped by Zhao so here, I am going to read off the winning poll. …… and America says- RAPE!

You people are **_sick_**. walks off stage in disgust

**_REVIEW!_**

**It's free, it's fast, and there's no sign-in necessary!**

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

I had finally achieved sleep, only to be rudely awoken by the boy with the scar, who shook me with great force.

I opened my eyes, and glared at him angrily.

"You need to stay awake." He said pulling up a chair from the corner of the room and setting it near my head. I pulled myself up onto my elbows and screamed out in pain. I barred my face into my pillow trying hard not to cry. Images of the man with large side burns flashed though my mind.

"What?" the Prince asked, his eyes wide. "What is it?"

At first I didn't answer, knowing all too well that I might start crying.

Prince Zuko got off of his chair and made his way toward me. "What's wrong?" he asked again.

I reached out for his arm and he helped me sit up. I gasped as more pain shot through my body. Zuko looked at me, his eyes full of worry, I knew he wasn't there to hurt me, I urged myself to trust him.

"Its my shoulders." I said. When the man had thrown me across the room, he was more then likely to have caused damage. Yeah, _more_ then likely.

Prince Zuko stood up and walked around me to the head of the mattress, I turned my head and watched as he sat on the pillow.

Sure, I still didn't fully trust him, that's why I was watching his every move. But when his hands found their way to my shoulders and moved up and down, his fingers massaging my sore muscles and rubbing my aching back, all reasonable distrust was thrown from the room.

I let out a long, low sigh as I relaxed under the boys grasp and I think my eyes might have just rolled back into my head at that moment, if I remember correctly.

Prince Zuko chuckled slightly. He had one of those laughs that never leaves the lips, because it kind of comes out the nose.

"…"

There was a silence in the room. The only sound that came from the room was just him and I, breathing. I noticed that mine was a bit slower then his, even though I didn't feel like it was heavy. Maybe he was just breathing really fast. Somehow, I doubted that. Maybe the blood loss had something to do with it. Sort of wished I'd paid more attention in science class now. Sure, I was the only student in the seventh grade that got to go into the pig brain, but medicine really just wasn't my calling. (I know, we got to dissect pigs, the high point of going to a privet school on full scholarship!)  
"Thank you." I whispered as I felt Zuko's hands growing tiered.

"Hmm…" he answered and stopped.

A few more moments of silence before Zuko sighed heavily and said something.

"I need to know what Zhao did to you tonight."

I turned around to face him, crossing my lags lotus style. "The man with the side burns?" I asked gesturing to the side of my face.

Prince Zuko nodded. "He didn't… uh… y-you know?"

"Take me?" I looked down at my knee and played with the fabric. "Yeah." I said. "He did."

Zuko growled deep into his throat and bit his lip angrily.

"I'm sorry." He said his eyes full of sadness.

"Its not your fault." I said. "It's not like you told him to do that. Did you?"

Zuko smiled sadly at me and I returned it.

We looked over to the window almost simultaneously. To see the sun rising, it was different then on earth. It had this eerie closeness. This planet was probably placed closer to the sun; Iroh did say that people lived on the North and South Pole. I shivered and yawned all at the same time. Sending goose bumps all up and down my bare arms.

"Cold?" Zuko asked.

I nodded and undid the golden clip which held his long cloak/jacket thing together, leaving him in a grey turtleneck. He bent close to me and put it around my shoulders.

"Thanks." I said and snuggled into it. It had a nice musty smell to it. Not like the normal male perspiration smell, you usually get an unwanted wiff of in gym class. No, it was nice. Like: yeah, he sweats like a normal human being, but it wasn't like he was proud of it or anything. But it also smelt of gun powder and it was the same thing, it was a good smell, and wait, I'm not done. Wood, newly chopped, and burned, like in the winter when the only thing to heat your apartment is the fire place and the only wood you can find is the tree out side your building. You people probably have no idea what I'm mumbling on about, the point is he had a good, you know, guy smell, and not that crappy Abercrombie cologne the guys in your world are wearing. (Rolls eyes yuuu-uuuckk!)

A knock came at the door and the healer stepped in carrying a tray of sliced fruits and brown liquid that looked like tea. My checks started to twinge with joy.

TEEEEEEEAAAAAA!

Caffeine! _gasp_ must _gasp_ have _gasp_ **caffeine**! _gasp_ must not _gasp_ lose mind _gasp_

The healer set the tray on the chair Zuko had been sitting on and smiled to me.  
"Good morning Xola." He said, "I brought you some breakfast." He motioned to the tray before turning his attention to the Prince.

"Prince Zuko, may I speak to you in privet?" he asked.

Zuko nodded and got up off the mattress. Before leaving me to poke at my breakfast with my hashi-sticks Zuko turned and smiled sadly at me.

Love and Peace!  
-Natasha

I know what you're thinking, why is Zuko being so nice? Well you'll just have to wait until Ji gets there. (oops did I say Ji, your not suppose to know that!)

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**Preview:**

…Zuko frowned and looked through the rest of what I had gotten. I saw his eyes widen in shock.

"What?" I asked.

Slowly, Zuko pulled out a red gown tinted red. Realizing what it was, my own eyes widened.

"Oh god!" I said. "Stupid woman, I told her I didn't want it." I felt a blush rising to my face faster then the speed of light.

"Sure you did." Said Zuko with a sly smile, putting it back into my back. "And, um, who were you planning on using it with?"

"No one!" I said forcefully taking back my bag.

"Right," he said. "You know I talked to Hung this morning."

Crap.

" He talked to me and your father. Uncle was asleep at the time." Zuko continued. "Why didn't you tell us?" he asked.

I growled in frustration and stomped off to my room some happy birthday this was turning out to be…

(oh if you guys want a grate OC story (besides my own, go to that little airgirl555 botton and go to my favorets there you will find a story called "Crazy Confetions of a JersyGirl and a Tortured Soul" -by Bender Babe. its soooooo good I've now read it over hmmm... about 10 times now.)


	8. Chapter 8

"What did she tell you?" Zuko was bombarded the secant he came out of the room.

The Lieutenant, his Uncle and the Healer all stood looking to the prince, waiting for his answer.

Zuko looked to Xola's Father, who looked like he was about to explode. Ji had been asleep when Xola was taken aboard Zhoa ship. He had probably just heard of her capture in the last five minuets.

Zuko looked to his feet and walked away from the man, muttering something under his breath that no one could hear.

Iroh sighed and jogged up to his nephew grasping his shoulder.

"I'm afraid we didn't hear you." Iroh said softly, knowing, full well, that he was trading on week ground.

Zuko stared down the hallway but in his the eyes there was a void, as if he was not really seeing it as a whole. His lips parted and in a hose voice, he uttered three words that made the other men cringe. "He took her."

Either at themselves or Zhoa was unsure, but all three men sighed in anger and frustration. Zuko found new anger he had never felt. His blood ran cold, his throat was dry, and his heart felt as if some one had poured Fire Flake juice into his arteries.

Zuko waived a threatening finger at the healer, as if somehow, this was his entire fault. "If she's with child-"

"-It will look like yours." Iroh cut in. "Or one of the crews. But since most of the men here are already married, no one will believe that its one of there's."

Zuko opened his mouth as if to say something, but quickly closed it, realizing that his uncle was right.

Iroh patted his nephew on the shoulder. "We have no proof of Zhoa's sickness. And you know what your father would do if word got to him."


	9. Chapter 9

AN: So I've finally decided to update on this stupid story! HORAY!!!! Don't tell me it sucks, I already know it dose. Love and Peace!

-Natasha

When the men left the room, I curled up into a ball and lay down. My pillow was still worm from were Zuko had been sitting.

I sighed I was so tiered. I closed my eyes, the room paled. I closed my eyes and drifted peacefully off to sleep.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

The healer opened the door Iroh and Zuko stood behind They looked down to see a peacefully sleeping Xola.

Zuko took a step forward, but the healer put out a hand to stop him. Zuko looked at him curiously. "She'll be safe now. Let her rest, Agni knows she'll need it." The healer said and left the room, Iroh fallowed. Zuko, on the other hand, stayed behind. Swiftly he crossed the space between the mattress and the door. He leaned down and looked at Xola's pail face. Slowly he bent down and lightly kissed her forehead. She stirred in her sleep but did not wake. Quickly, Zuko left the room, closing the door behind him

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

_Late in the night the Hanson's sit in the Orange County Hospital Emergency Room's waiting aria, waiting to know what is to become of Beatrix. Ruth Hanson, the girls' mother, sits with her head in her hands, her sister-in-law, Gail, sits with a hand on her shoulder _

_Jake and Daniel sit with a drawing on a pad of paper that a nurse gave them when they walked in. _

_Suddenly, a man with blood covered scrubs came out of the Emergency room with a sad frown on his face. Ruth stood up and the man walked over to her. He whispered something into her ear and a new round of tears erupted from her eyes._

_Gail hugged her Sister-In-Law tightly, and the man in scrubs walked away to wrap the corps._

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End file.
